Recent issues with BF3 have led me to decide I finally need to upgrade my GPU. The ol HD 4850 has done me well for a couple years but I suppose it's that time again. All the helpful folks in this thread have me narrowed down to two selections. Either the nVid 660 or AMD 7870.

The 660 is cheaper at $210 plus AC III. The 7870 is $248 plus MOH/FarCry. The 7870 with new Catalyst drivers is apparently up to 5-7% better performance than a 660. I enjoy tinkering with the OC settings but don't like to get too insane with them. I have never gone with an nVid card and am unfamiliar with everything about them... I have always been an AMD guy, but am open to nVid.

Brandonwh64 posted this picture in another thread. This is apparently before the noticeable increase from the AMD drivers.

No one need be worried about RAM or OS either. Win 7 64 bit is en-route, along with 2x4GB RAM sticks. I like BF3, trying out PlanetSide 2; Crysis, Starcraft II, etc. just to give an idea of the [demanding] games I play. Money is a big deal for me and I'd really like to be convinced if I buy this 7870!

Please help vote in the poll; give why or why not if you'd like, and if you choose OTHER please let me know what you think! I understand there's not supposed to be X vs. X cards but I really am torn here as it's a huge investment for a broke college kid and I'd like to make the best purchase possible. Adding to it, one of the card companies I have no experience with whatsoever.

If that's your budget, consider the 7950. Lowest price on Newegg right now is $280, but I recently saw a Giga triple fan non ref model for $250 on an email subscriber promotional offer. Make sure you sign up for their email promo deals if you haven't.

7870 over 660 anyday.. and what Frag Maniac said, that you should could consider the 7950, however since you game even today at an HD 4850, i assume you are not a graphics and performance freak like most people here do. so 7870 should be more than enough for BF3 and your other needs

I'd choose a 7870 as well. Try and get one with a decent cooler if you cbf changing it yourself so you can have fun times overclocking. Apparently the 7870s overclock like beasts especially when compared to nvidia's silly clock + boost thingy and limited voltage adjustments.

If that's your budget, consider the 7950. Lowest price on Newegg right now is $280, but I recently saw a Giga triple fan non ref model for $250 on an email subscriber promotional offer. Make sure you sign up for their email promo deals if you haven't.

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I have to agree, for an extra $30 the 7950 is the better option. If budget is the issue, then by all means the 7870 will do the job well too
Also you can always give yourself the option to add another 7870 for some Crossfire X performance at a later date.

I am actually now considering the 7950 as an option for $280 as well as my budget has increased ever so slightly.

I actually am a graphics freak, but unfortunately I can only afford to be one every 2 or 3 years Now's that time to update.

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Definitely go with the 7950 if you can swing it. There were 2 in your other thread that were 280 AR, and I'd say that's a good deal, as they are usually beast overclockers. a 7950 would definitely do you right

and considering the good games that come with it, it's practically saving you money! can't go wrong!

I know everyone has their preferences, their horror stories, and the like, but I would definitely consider the Sapphire, as I've really come to appreciate their cards. I've posted before about it, but they handled my RMA like a pro, very quick and sent me a brand new card.

Hopefully you don't need to RMA, but in that unlikely event, it's good have some peace of mind. (unlike the terrible Asus stories I've heard lately, which sucks because I have an Asus also )

I could agree. I had a Sapphire once and had no problems. I've had terrible issues with Asus' customer support in the past. Their products are damn solid but when one goes wrong, it's heck to try to communicate with em.

If you can afford a 7950 i strongly reccomend it,if not a 7870 would be the best choice(faster then 660 and usually has a significantly higher OC margin).
I would only pick a 660 for its power efficency.

"Middle pricing band –This pricing band was far less competitive as the Radeon HD 7950 with Boost simply demolished the GTX 660 Ti across the board with regards to raw frame rates and overall game play experience across our suite of testing.

"GeForce GTX 670 is 12% faster than the Radeon HD 7950 and just 2% faster than the 7950 Boost. However the GTX 670 is 27% more expensive than both cards, so whichever way you slice it the Radeon HD 7950 Boost is the better proposition and things just get worse for the GTX 670 as the resolution is increased."

the HD 7950 boost matches GTX 670 with the latest drivers. the HD 7950 boost does not run at 925 mhz consistently and is throttling if you don't max out power to +20%. once you max out power it is slightly faster than GTX 670. with overclocking the HD 7950(1.15 Ghz) is faster than GTX 670(1.3 Ghz).

OP the HD Sapphire 7950 boost is a very good card. the user reviews are very positive. many users are hitting 1.1 - 1.5 ghz at stock voltage. at the same clocks HD 7950 is 3 - 5% slower than HD 7970 and atleast 35 - 40% faster than HD 7870. so get the sapphire HD 7950 card. good luck.

Given your CPU and its current clock speed an HD 7850 2GB would be a better match, not to mention much cheaper. Oh, and never base a purchase on the vagaries of beta drivers. Nvidia could just as easily switch things around in the near future.

Like I said jed, sign up for those Newegg email promo deals. They send at least two emails everyday. Check them daily and preferably first thing in the morning. This time of year their prices go down frequently, then back up a few days later. Some of the promo deals go out of stock same day they come out, so be diligent in keeping up on them. Soon you will strike a good deal, it's the right time of year for it.

Mx - I'm look at this one here. Some complaints about it 'arriving in peices' and getting 1 egg but other than that all golden reviews.

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There's always going to be one unlucky guy who has to RMA once delivered (we know a certain guy on here who knows first hand), but otherwise i can say most people i have built systems for have been more than pleased with sapphire cards. If you ever hit up TPU TeamSpeak, one of us would be more than happy to help with software clocking it.